Natural History - Large Cut and Polished Blue Agate Crystal Slice

Displaying vivid yellow, red and reddish-orange colours, high arsenic content, collection number 345. 185 grams, 68 mm



Acquired on the UK mineral and fossil market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. Accompanied by an original historic index file card.

Australopithecus Africanus cranium skull with hand-painted finish. 1.19 kg, 20.1 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Australopithecus africanus is an extinct South African species of australopithecine which lived circa 3.3-2.1 million years ago in the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Australopithecus, means ‘southern ape’. It is based on ‘australo’, a Latin word meaning ‘southern’ and ‘pithecus’, a Greek word meaning ‘ape’. The females grew to about 110 centimetres in height and males were slightly taller at about 135 centimetres.

Comprising: pink calcite, collection number 40; conichalcite with chrysocolla from Ojvela Mine, Mapimi, Mexico, collection number 618 with old Richard Tayler Minerals label; quartz from Cumbria, collection number 19; cluster of colourless quartz crystals from Madagascar, collection number 67; calcite from North Transvaal, South Africa, collection number 316; actinolite from Norway, collection number 328; campylite from Carrock Fell, Cumbria, England, collection number 279; galena from England, collection number 234; chalcotrichite from Pendarves Mine, level 6, Tryphena Lode, Cornwall, England, collection number 571 with old Gregory, Bottley and Lloyd label. 433 grams total, 34-65 mm



Acquired on the UK mineral and fossil market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. Eight specimens accompanied by an original historic index file card.